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Here is a verbatim statement just issued by the University of Mississippi:

At the request of Chancellor Dan
Jones, the university’s Alumni
Association has offered a $25,000
reward for information leading to the
arrest of two individuals involved in
an early morning incident on The
University of Mississippi campus.

The University Police Department (UPD)
is looking for two men who were seen
early Sunday morning near the James
Meredith statue, which commemorates
the 1962 integration of the
university. One of the men was
reported to have been wearing
camouflage pants. The statue had been
draped with a noose and an old Georgia
state flag, and the men were heard
shouting racial slurs.

Jones condemned the action as contrary
to the beliefs and values of the
university community. “These
individuals chose our university’s
most visible symbol of unity and
educational accessibility to express
their disagreement with our values.
Their ideas have no place here, and
our response will be an even greater
commitment to promoting the values
that are engraved on the statue –
Courage, Knowledge, Opportunity, and
Perseverance.”

Assistant to the Chancellor for
Multicultural Affairs Don Cole
reiterated the creed that the
university stands by. “This is
particularly painful because the James
Meredith statue has become a gathering
place for students to discuss many
things, including the tenets of our
creed, which calls for dignity and
respect for all people.”

UPD has initiated a rigorous
investigation and alerted Oxford
Police. Anyone with information
concerning the investigation is urged
to contact UPD at 662-915-7234.

Golden eagle, before you condemn the whole University, let's find out who did this. There's a very good chance that it was no one associated with the school. Because of the history at Ole Miss, it is a lightning rod for all kinds of nut jobs that have never completed 3 hours at the school. The University's administration will diligently try to find out who did this and deal with them to the fullest extent of the law.

Yeah, I wouldn't condemn the whole university of these actions. But I wouldn't be surprise if they were students of Ole Miss or just fans for the university. Whoever did it is close to campus or a regular visitor. That's my take.

It's of poor taste that this has occurred and is occurring. Anger, pain and the lack of respect is strong in many levels and types of communities unfortunately.

As I type, a large number of Ole Miss students are holding a silent rally at the Meredith statue. I'm proud to say that my daughter is one of them at the rally. One day, the people that do these tasteless acts will understand that this will not be tolerated.

By no means am I defending or supporting these actions, but please explain to me how their actions are deemed as vandalism. The statue was not harmed in anyway, so I don't see how someone could be indicted for vandalism. Tresspassing yes, if the culprits were not students. Expulsion if they were.

js1976, vandalism (under Mississippi's pertinent malicious mischief statute, and more generally) encompasses temporary malicious disfigurement of property as a misdemeanor offense. Putting a noose around the neck of a statue dedicated to a civil rights figure, while shouting racial epithets, obviously qualifies. It is very unlikely that the person who did this will serve prison time, but I don't see how anyone can reasonably object to the FBI assisting with the investigation given the obvious racial intimidation element.

I have to admit that when I hear the word "vandalism" I imagine permanent property damage, but from a statutory point of view temporary disfigurement of property is generally included under vandalism, especially when malicious intent is shown. Graffiti doesn't necessarily cause permanent damage to property, for example, but it's still generally regarded as a form of vandalism by law enforcement agencies.

Some states also criminalize public acts that are intended to cause fear or intimidation within a targeted community (these are usually referred to as "cross-burning laws"), but the Mississippi Code doesn't have that statute as far as I know. It's possible that Oxford has a municipal statute with the same effect; I haven't looked.

Bubba, the malicious mischief statute does not specify that the damage to property needs to be permanent—and to be honest, the fact that you don't consider this worthy of investigation is both predictable and irrelevant.

Tom- Yes but it does say it has to be damaged, it wasn't in any way. Witnesses are saying the guys were yelling racial slurs at the statue, does a statue have civil rights for this to be a hate crime? Nope
I would think the FBI would have more important things to do, like solving why Ole Miss is ranked in the top 10 of the most dangerous schools for women instead of a misdemeanor trespass and prank.

Bubba, the statute says "destroying, disfiguring, [or] injuring"; the "damaging" line was my shorthand, predicated on the obviously false assumption that you had already read the statute.

The investigation will proceed, and the people who did this will be publicly humiliated. This is as it should be.

I'm glad to hear you acknowledge that violence against women is an issue at Ole Miss, but that's no reason not to investigate racial intimidation. Many women, it may surprise you to learn, are black themselves.

Tom - a noose was hung around it neck and flag draped that's decorating it and like I said earlier I don't condone what they did, just think it being over reacted to. A hate crime not hardly. I did read the both statutes it might come under in the Mississippi Code and charge someone with either would be a real stretch. You must not have or don't understand them.

It would not fall under this one because the statue is public property not a persons property.

97-17-67. Malicious mischief

(1) Every person who shall maliciously or mischievously destroy, disfigure, or injure, or cause to be destroyed, disfigured, or injured, any property of another, either real or personal, shall be guilty of malicious mischief.

(2) If the value of the property destroyed, disfigured or injured is Five Hundred Dollars ($ 500.00) or less, it shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($ 1,000.00) or imprisonment not exceeding twelve (12) months in the county jail, or both.

(3) If the value of the property destroyed, disfigured or injured is in excess of Five Hundred Dollars ($ 500.00), it shall be a felony punishable by a fine not exceeding Ten Thousand Dollars ($ 10,000.00) or imprisonment in the Penitentiary not exceeding five (5) years, or both.

(4) In all cases restitution to the victim for all damages shall be ordered. The value of property destroyed, disfigured or injured by the same party as part of a common crime against the same or multiple victims may be aggregated together and if the value exceeds One Thousand Dollars ($ 1,000.00), shall be a felony.

(5) For purposes of this statute, value shall be the cost of repair or replacement of the property damaged or destroyed.

(6) Anyone who by any word, deed or act directly or indirectly urges, aids, abets, suggests or otherwise instills in the mind of another the will to so act shall be considered a principal in the commission of said crime and shall be punished in the same manner

Nor would it fall under this because it wasn't injured, destroy or defaced.

If any person, by any means whatever, shall willfully or mischievously injure or destroy any of the burial vaults, urns, memorials, vases, foundations, bases or other similar items in a cemetery, or injure or destroy any of the work, materials, or furniture of any courthouse or jail, or other public building, or schoolhouse or church, or deface any of the walls or other parts thereof, or shall write, or make any drawings or character, or do any other act, either on or in said building or the walls thereof, or shall deface or injure the trees, fences, pavements, or soil, on the grounds belonging thereto, or an ornamental or shade tree on any public road or street leading thereto, such person, upon conviction, for such offense, shall be punished as follows:

(a) If the damage caused by the destruction or defacement of such property has a value of less than Three Hundred Dollars ($ 300.00), any person who is convicted of such offense shall be fined not more than One Thousand Dollars ($ 1,000.00) or be imprisoned in the county jail for not more than one (1) year, or both.

(b) If the damage caused by the destruction or defacement of such property has a value equal to or exceeding Three Hundred Dollars ($ 300.00), any person who is convicted of such offense shall be fined not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($ 5,000.00) or be imprisoned in the State Penitentiary for up to five (5) years, or both.